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BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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ILOILO City – Where will the government get the funds for free college education?
According to Cong. Karlo Nograles, chairperson of the House committee on appropriations, the money may be sourced from funds allocated for various government scholarship programs and the unutilized funds of government agencies.
Nograles was in Iloilo City recently. He said the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) were yet to determine how much funds were needed for the implementation of the free higher education.
The two government agencies are currently determining the number of students expected to enroll in 2018 in state universities and colleges (SUCs), local state universities and colleges (LUCs) and technical-vocational institutions.
“After this, iko-compute na po nila magkano ang tuition sa bawat institution na papasukan ng estudyante, then they will submit to Congress the final computation na kailangan naming hanapan ng pondo,” said Nograles.
According to the congressman, one source of money could be the funds of scholarship programs of various government agencies such as the departments of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Health, and Environment and Natural Resources.
Nograles said CHED, TESDA and SUCs also have scholarship funds.
Funds of scholarships offered by various government agencies could reach P16 billion, he said.
If all these are summed up, Nograles said, the fund could reach P16 billion.
“Parang pag-iisahin natin ‘yung mga scholarship programs like Tulong-Dunong at iba pa,” said Nograles.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed the Universal Access to Tertiary Education Act into law on Aug. 4 covering SUCs.
“(President Duterte) weighed everything and came to the conclusion that the long-term benefits from a well-developed tertiary education on the part of the citizenry will definitely outweigh any short-term budgetary challenges,” said Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Menardo Guevarra.
The Universal Access to Tertiary Education Act will be financed through reallocation of resources, official development assistance and donations from local and international sectors, he said.
Aside from tuition fees, the government will shoulder miscellaneous and all other mandatory fees under the law./PN
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